Quinn names longtime aide as campaign manager

With Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn expected to win renomination next week, his campaign on Tuesday began moving ahead with plans for the fall general election, including naming a longtime aide as his campaign manager.

Quinn, seeking a second elected term after being elevated to the post following the 2009 impeachment of now-imprisoned Rod Blagojevich, named Lou Bertuca as his campaign manager.

Bertuca began as a traveling aide when Quinn was lieutenant governor and moved to a variety of different posts, including director of planning and protocol in the governor’s office, deputy chief of staff at the Illinois Tollway and deputy chief of staff in the governor’s legislative affairs office.

Quinn also has hired 270 Digital Strategies to head up the Democrat’s digital and data campaign strategies. The firm was founded by Jeremy Bird, the Chicago-based field director for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012.

Quinn also is sticking with Joe Slade White & Co., the Democratic media firm that he hired during his first election bid for governor four years ago.

The Democratic governor previously named Bill Hyers, recently the campaign manager for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, as chief strategist for Quinn’s re-election effort. Sean Floyd, who was director of operations for the de Blasio campaign, was named to the same job on the Quinn campaign.